


Nightlight in Hightown

by Aly_H



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Cuddles, F/M, Fluffy, Ghost Stories, One Shot, Sleepy Cuddles, night-light Fenris, scared of the dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-24 01:08:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13800177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aly_H/pseuds/Aly_H
Summary: After a night spent telling ghost stories with the Kirkwall crew Marian Hawke seems to be finding it difficult to get to sleep. Fenris might have a solution that could help though.





	Nightlight in Hightown

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aban_asaara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aban_asaara/gifts).



> This story was inspired by a post that [@aban-asaara](https://aban-asaara.tumblr.com/) made on tumblr.
> 
> I hope ya'll enjoy!

He leaned in the doorway, watching with some amusement as last of Hawke’s friends departed into the night, stifling a yawn behind his hand. Well, the last except for Varric who was still lingering while he chatted with Hawke – _Marian_ , he chided himself.

Their friends were nearly gone for the night – which meant he could use her first name in his own thoughts now, at least.

Varric’s laugh was deep and warm as he and Marian came into the foray, “You know, Hawke – if I didn’t know better I would’ve sworn you were getting a bit jumpy there.”

Marian snorted, waving her hand in that slightly over-exaggerated way that was meant to be playfully dismissive but every single one of them knew that it was what she did when they’d hit the mark on something that she didn’t want to admit. And Maker help anyone who pointed out that Carver did the exact same thing.

He could hardly blame her for being absorbed in the earlier stories – even Sebastian was a decent story teller. Fenris had found himself drawn into the tales woven that night and enjoying the thrill that had accompanied them even if he offered none of his own in return.

“As if I’d be scared just from some stories, I mean, I know they’re not real,” she tried to laugh it off.

Fenris ducked a smile behind his hand – he’d blame it on how late it was and the wine he’d had earlier while listening to the stories with Marian tucked up in his arms as they’d made their impromptu circle on the floor by the fire place.

It’d been years since they’d eaten at the dining room table as a group – none of them would _say_ it but it didn’t feel right without Leandra there fussing to make sure they’d all had enough to eat.

“Not real?” there was a glint in Varric’s eye – the one the dwarf got when he’d cooked up a new scheme or one of them had suddenly provided inspiration for a new plot. “Why, Hawke, you didn’t know?”

Marian suddenly went very still, though a look of suspicion flickered across her face, “Didn’t know what?”

“I mean, sure, the stories Rivaini was telling are definitely all crap, but this is Kirkwall – who needs to make up shit like this when the likes of Mina Hart-Strende really _does_ haunt High Town? On moonless nights she hunts through the mansions of High Town.”

Fenris stifled another yawn, and headed for the stairs to the bedroom – Hawke wouldn’t be much longer and he was eager to get into bed.

“The… _new_ …moon?” lyrium-bright eyes were wide.

“Mhm,” Varric nodded. “See you at the Hanged Man tomorrow for Wicked Grace?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” she smiled, watching the dwarf as he disappeared into Kirkwall’s night back towards his home. Her eyes drifted upwards though to the moonless sky before she stepped back in and closed the door firmly, making sure it was locked and checking it twice before she followed at his heels to the bedroom.

 By the time she was changing into her sleep clothes he’d already relocated the dog off the bed and climbed into the side that was rapidly becoming _his_ when he thought about it.

Tomorrow he was certain there waited yet another day of Hawke keeping Kirkwall together at the seams with bits of twine, magic, and sheer will power. They both needed their rest.

Except he watched Hawke climb onto the bed and sit there, chewing on one of her thumb nails the way she did when she got to thinking too much about something.

Trying to keep the impatience from his voice as he debated smothering himself with the pillow – exhaustion tugging at him he asked quietly, “The candles?”

“Oh, um,” she blew the candle out but didn’t really settle into the dark room.

A few minutes later the house groaned quietly under its own settling weight – it was an old mansion, it made noises when things quieted. Marian had relit the candle though and pulled herself out from beneath his arm to grab her staff and carry it over, leaning it against the wall by her side of the bed.

He rolled over, giving a frustrated huff, before he turned back towards her, studying her more carefully.

“What’s wrong?” he asked at last, pushing himself up to his elbow. There was _something_ wrong, there wasn’t much apart from Darkspawn and Meredith that he’d seen make Hawke nervous. It couldn’t have been… _no_ , she’d fought _dragons_ (small ones, really, but still dragons) and hunted wyverns with Orlesian nobility, there was no way that _that_ was it.

“Nothing,” she muttered, color rising in her cheeks but she jumped a little as the night air bellowed the curtains.

“Are you scared of ghosts?” he still doesn’t _really_ believe that the stories from earlier are what’s gotten Kirkwall’s Champion worked up into the state but instead of a retort or telling him what is wrong her cheeks turned crimson with embarrassment and she drew herself tight, knees pulled to her chest with embarrassment.

“I know they’re not _really_ real, Varric was joking about Mina Hart-Strende,” she mutters low into her knees. “There’s not really any ghost haunting High Town.”

“If there were I am certain that you would have been asked to hunt it long before now,” he said, sitting up to gently put an arm around her. The observation startles a laugh from the Ferelden who relaxes into his hold.

There are times even _he_ forgets that Marian Hawke is just a mortal.

That she’d be scared of ghost stories is a reminder of her humanity. He has full confidence that if he calls her _cute_ for it – or shows that the thought occurred to him – she’ll spend the night cuddling with the oversized mabari instead of him, but it brings a warmth to his chest to think it.

“Put the candle out, Hawke,” he kissed her temple gently, moving his hand soothingly through the woman’s messy black hair.

“Can’t we leave it? Just for tonight?”

It’s tempting to give in but – “It will be alright, Marian,” he soothed instead. “Trust me.”

The mage shifted slightly to blow it out again and he drew her into his arms, cradled against his chest. He could feel her alert in the dark of the room before he activated the lyrium that veins along his skin – flushing the room with a soft blue light.

“Oh,” she breathed.

Marian turned closer to him, and he smiled softly, feeling the tickle of her hair against his chin while her cheek rested on his chest.

Fenris wasn’t sure where the wordless tune came from – his life before the lyrium, maybe? – but he hummed softly instead a hand tracing soothing patterns over Marian’s back as he did so.

By increments the woman relaxed and she slipped into sleep. He let the lyrium fade back to its usual, softer glow, and fell silent himself, listening to the sound of her breath.

“I love you, Marian,” he murmured softly before he too drifted to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! As always notes and comments are appreciated!
> 
> If you have not read any of Aban_asaara's Fenhawkewriting I suggest you go check their profile out right away. She's a fantastic writer. Her [The Naming of Things](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11929227) remains one of my absolute favorite stories ever. 
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr at [@aly-the-writer](https://aly-the-writer.tumblr.com/) if you want to drop me a prompt or stop by to chat!


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